Ross William Hamilton/The OregonianPortlandâs newly elected City Council was all smiles two weeks after the November 2008 election. Mayor-elect Sam Adams (second from right) joined (from left) Commissioner Randy Leonard, Commissioners-elect Amanda Fritz and Nick Fish, and Commissioner Dan Saltzman for a portrait.

Fluoride lobbyists reported meeting personally with all five members of the Portland City Council in July or August but only one of those initial meetings appears on public calendars -- under a vague heading -- leaving lingering questions about the effectiveness of the city's lobbying and reporting requirements.

Promoted by then-Commissioner Sam Adams beginning in 2005, the lobbying and reporting rules are supposed to preserve integrity in city decision-making. The requirements affect both lobbyists and city officials and are meant to reveal who attempts to influence city leaders -- and on what topic.

Upstream Public Health is behind the push to add fluoride to Portland drinking water. But its plan has since been challenged through a referendum effort that may block the City Council's Sept. 12 unanimous approval.

But those same city officials -- who are required to publicly post their calendars on a quarterly basis -- either didn't disclose the meetings about fluoride or left a vague subject heading. Adams and Leonard say they weren't actually present at the meetings.

Leonard, who championed the fluoride proposal, listed four meetings July 26. Two were about the Portland Loo, one was about skateboarding and one was with the police union. But no fluoride.

Saltzman listed three meetings Aug. 2 with the city forester, the police union and one about a homeless camp. But nothing about the fluoride proposal.

Of the nine slots on Fish's calendar, he reported a 30-minute meeting Aug. 2 with "Health Coalitions" but didn't identify the group or the topic.

Fritz, meanwhile, reports her calendar by week instead of by day. She listed 16 meetings or events, none about fluoride or with Upstream Public Health.

And Adams listed six items on his calendar for Aug. 27. They include a meeting with Police Chief Mike Reese, a meeting about Brazil trade, a meeting with Transportation Director Tom Miller, a media event and two blocks for "office time." But nothing about fluoride.

According to city code, elected officials are required to post their calendars "of activities related to official city business" 15 days after the end of the previous quarter. That deadline was Oct. 15. There is only one exception: If an elected official "determines that such posting poses a safety threat."

Leonard said in an email Friday that he never met with Upstream Public Health on July 26, despite the group's assertion that it had a "personal meeting" with him. Leonard said the meeting involving Upstream Public Health was with Stuart Oishi on his staff.

Adams' spokeswoman Caryn Brooks said Friday that Adams never met personally with Upstream Public Health, either. She said that Upstream instead met with herself and Amy Ruiz, Adams' deputy chief of staff, on Aug. 27. But Brooks did say that Adams called Upstream about fluoride -- which doesn't appear on the group's report -- and he also ran into representatives at Davis Street Tavern.

Fish said in an email Friday that Kayse Jama, a founder for the Center for Intercultural Organizing, requested the Aug. 2 meeting but told Fish's office it was about a "broad health equity strategy." Fish said he didn't learn the topic until the meeting.

As for Upstream Public Health, it didn't register as a lobbying group until Aug. 16. The Oregonian broke news of the fluoride push, and the group's stealth lobbying efforts, Aug. 9.

According to city code, lobbyists are required to register with the city "within three working days after a lobbying entity has spent 8 hours or more or estimates that it has spent cumulative 8 hours or more during any calendar quarter lobbying."

After registering, groups that spend more than 8 hours lobbying are required to file a full statement by the 15th day following the quarter. That's where Upstream Public Health listed its meetings with City Council members.

While just one of five initial meetings appeared on City Council calendars, two of four follow-up meetings did show up.

According to Upstream Public Health's disclosure, it also met with Leonard Aug. 20, Aug. 27 and Aug. 30, and Fish on Aug. 31.

Leonard listed the meetings Aug. 20 and Aug. 27 but not on Aug. 30, although he did show a meeting that day with Tualatin Mayor Lou Ogden, who had concerns about wholesale customers buying water from Portland. Leonard confirmed that the meeting Aug. 30 did include Upstream
Public Health, who he invited to balance out the views of a fluoride
opponent who also attended.

Fish, in his email, said his weekly calendar was posted earlier that week and Upstream didn't request a meeting until Aug. 30, and it never made his calendar, "so there was no intent to hide it," he wrote.

The calendar rules also apply to Portland's top administrators.

But a review Thursday showed that just 10 of 21 bureau directors had posted calendars by Oct. 15 for the months of July, August and September. And the City Auditor's office -- swamped by the fluoride referendum effort, ironically -- has yet to post third-quarter lobbying reports. The office released Upstream Public Health's report this week in response to a request from The Oregonian.

In 2005, when the City Council approved Adams' lobbying and reporting plan, he said it would shine a "disinfecting light" on decision-making that "will make the city government a sunnier place, not just for the political class, but for all Portlanders, even on the rainiest day."